Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 8 · Lecture 118
Lecture CXVIII. On Psalme 51.6. May 12. 1629.
NOw we are to come unto the severall parts of this verse, and to observe in the words these two things. 1. What he craveth here and beggeth of God. 2. The Reason he giveth wherby he was moved to beg these things of God. His petition is that God would purge and wash him from his sins. The reason he giveth for this his so earnest a suit, is taken from the benefit and fruit he should receive by it, he knew if God would be pleased thus to purge him and wash him, he should then be cleane from all the filthinesse of his sin, yea he should be whiter in Gods eye, and account then any snow is in the eye of man.
In the petition two things must bee observed. 1. What it was whereby he did desire to be purged and washed from his sinnes. 2. In what manner hee did desire to be purged with it. The thing which he desired to be purged and washed with, was the bloud of Christ, that was the thing which hee knew was signified and represented, both by the water and bloud that was used under the law, for the purifying of them that were uncleane. So that the meaning of his petition is this, Lord wash me from my sins in the bloud of Christ, Lord sprinkle (as with a bunch of hysope) and effectually apply to my soule that bloud of thy sonne.
Nota.Then the first particular that is to bee observed in these words is this, that though in the first verse when he begged so earnestly of God the pardon of his sins, he sued for nothing but mercy, he grounded his faith and hope to speed in that suit onelyonly upon the infinite mercy of God; yet here renewing the same suit and suing still for nothing els but the pardon of his sinne, yet he mentioneth not mercy now, but sheweth the way and meanes whereby hee hoped to obtaine this mercy from God for the pardon of his sinne; by the bloud of Christ, by being washed in that, by having that sprinkled upon him and applyed to him, hee looked to obtaine mercy with God for the pardon of his sinne, and by no other meanes. From hence then this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction.
Doct. 26That the onelyonly meanes whereby men obtaine mercy with God for the pardon of their sins, is the bloud of Christ.
Two branches there be of this Doctrine which must be distinctly handled. 1. No mercy can be expected from God but through Christ onelyonly. Hee is the conduit pipe whereby all mercy is conveyed from God unto us. Of his fullnesse (saith the Evangelist, Iohn 1.16.) have wee all received. 2. Whatsoever mercy wee receive from God by Christ, wee obtaine it by his bloud.
Branch 1See the proofe of the first point in six particulars.
First, Eternall life and the glory and happinesse wee looke for in heaven is indeed the free gift (foreign) of God, and obtained meerely through his mercy; but this free gift, this mercy we have no hope to receive from God but onelyonly through Christ, The gift of God is eternall life, (saith the Apostle, Rom. 6.23.) through Iesus Christ our Lord. In which respect hee is called our hope, 1 Tim. 1.1.
Secondly, All spirituall blessings whereby we are fitted for heaven, faith and repentance and holinesse, without which no man shall see the Lord (as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 12.14.) are the free gifts of God and obtained meerely through his mercy; for he is the God of all grace, as the Apostle calleth him, 1 Pet. 5.10. But this mercy is obtained from God onelyonly through Christ. Hee hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ, saith the Apostle, Ephes. 1.3. It is he that giveth repentance unto Israel, and forgivenes of sins as the Apostle speaketh, Acts 5.31.
Thirdly, Even those common gifts of Gods spirit, which hypocrites and castawayes have enjoyed as well as Gods elect, are the free gifts of God and fruits of his mercy, yet are they also bestowed on the elect onelyonly through Christ; no man can have any comfort in them, no man can have a sanctified use of them, but onelyonly in and through Christ. The Apostle speaking of that knowledge and utterance God had given the Corinthians for the service of his Church, 1 Cor. 1.4, 5. calleth them the grace of God which was given them in Iesus Christ.
Fourthly, It is of the mercy of God that any of us enjoy the blessings of this life, specially that we enjoy them with any comfort, as those that have just title and right unto them. Every man to whom God hath given riches and wealth (saith Solomon, Eccl. 5.19.) and hath given him power (a mind) to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoyce in his labour, this is the gift of God. But this mercy also the faithfull obtaine onelyonly though Christ. Worthy is the lamb that was staine (say the holy Angels, Revel. 5.12.) to receive power and riches and wisedome. As if they had said, All riches as well as all power and wisedome are his and his onelyonly. Him God hath made heire of all things, as the Apostle saith, Heb. 1.2. All things are yours, and ye are Christs, saith he, 1 Cor. 3.22, 23. As though hee had said, Nothing is ours, wee have not a spirituall and comfortable title to any thing, till we be Christs.
Fiftly, The love and good will of God towards us (which is the onelyonly root and fountaine of all blessings and good things we receive from him) is woon and procured to us onelyonly by Christ. God cannot love or beare good will to any of us, but onelyonly through him and for his sake. And therefore the Angels sing thus at his comming into the world, Luke 2.14. Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will towards men. As if they should have said, God could beare no good will towards men, but only through Christ.
Sixtly and lastly, No man can have any true boldnesse to goe to God or to looke for any good or mercy from him but onelyonly through Christ. No man commeth unto the father but by me, saith our Saviour, Ioh. 14 6. In him wee have boldnesse and accesse with confidence, saith the Apostle, Ephes 3.12. and in him onelyonly. Whatsoever good thing we want and would beg of God by prayer, we must aske it in his name, and looke to obtaine it onelyonly through him and and for his sake. Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name hee will give it unto you, saith our Saviour, Iohn 16.23. And whatsoever good thing we have received from God and would be truly thankfull to God for, we must ascribe it onelyonly to Christ and acknowledge we have received it for his sake alone, Giving thankes to God and the father by him, as the Apostle teacheth us, Col. 3.17. And thus we have seene the first proofe of the Doctrine. No mercy can be expected from God, but through Christ alone.
The second followeth.Branch 2 No mercy can bee expected from God by Christ, but onelyonly through his bloud; if hee had not suffered and endured that for us which hee did, both in his soule and body, wee could never have found any mercy from God at all. See the proofe of this also in three particulars.
First, All the mercies of God that concerne our justification, the acquitting us of our sinnes and setting us in Gods favour, are obtained to us by the passions and sufferings of Christ. Being justified by his bloud (saith the Apostle, Rom. 5.9.) wee shall bee saved from wrath through him. In Christ we have redemption though his bloud (saith he, Ephes. 1.7.) the forgivenesse of sinnes, according to the riches of his grace. As if he had said, It is of the riches of Gods free grace, that any of us obtaine the forgivenesse of our sins, but the riches of Gods grace are procured to us by the bloud of Christ, and by no other meanes. Him hath God set forth (saith he, Rom. 3.25.) to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud. Three things are to be observed in these words. 1. God hath made Christ the mercy-seat. The mercy-seat under the law was but a type and figure of him; They that would obtaine any mercy from God, must seeke it in and through him onelyonly. 2. Whereas the mercy-seat under the law stood in the holy of holyes, within the vaile and was hiden not onelyonly from the people but from the priests also, the High-Priest onelyonly had accesse unto it, and that but once a yeare, the Lord hath now by the ministery of the Gospell set forth this mercy-seat, openly to the view of all men, all men may have accesse unto it. 3. As the Hhigh-Priest who was a type of Christ came not to the mercy-seat, could find no mercy with God nor make atonement betweene him and his people, without the bloud of a sacrifice, Levit. 16.14. so may no man come to the true mercy-seat nor hope to find mercy with God through Christ, but onelyonly by faith in his bloud.
Secondly, All the mercies of God that concerne our sanctification, the subduing of our corruptions and the renewing of our hearts, are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. Therefore doth the Apostle, Rom. 6.6. ascribe our mortification to the death of Christ. Our old man (saith he) is crucified with him, that the body of sinne might bee destroyed, that hence forth wee should not serve sinne. So that ability that is given us of God to lead a new life and to walke in his wayes is ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. It is the bloud of Christ (saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.14▪) who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot unto God, that purgeth our conscience from dead workes, to serve the living God. And that strength that any child of God hath to resist tentation, is to bee ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. By Christ crucified (saith the Apostle, Gal. 6.14.) the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Thirdly and lastly, All the mercies of God that concerne our glorification, and the consummation of our happinesse in the kingdome of heaven, are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. We have boldnesse (saith the Apostle, Heb. 10.19.) to enter into the Holyest (into heaven whereof the holy of holyes in the temple was a figure) by the bloud of Iesus. As if hee should say, There is nothing that can make a man die, and goe to God with true boldnesse and expectation of a better life, but onelyonly faith in the bloud of Christ. And in this respect it is that the Apostle calleth his whole ministery the preaching of the crosse of Christ, 1 Cor. 1.18. and we preach Christ crucified, saith he, verse 23. that was the whole matter and scope of his ministery, to teach men to looke for all mercy and comfort from God onelyonly through the passion, and sufferings of Iesus Christ. Yea he telleth the Corinthians, 1 Cor 2.2. that when he was among them (where learning and eloquence did abound) hee determined not to know any thing save Iesus Christ and him crucified, he resolved with himselfe to shew no other learning but this, to set forth to them in the best manner he could, the sufferings of Christ and the benefit and fruit that commeth to Gods people by them. Nay he professeth of himselfe, Gal. 6.14. that the crosse of Christ his passion and sufferings, was the onelyonly ground of all his comfort, he rejoiced and gloryed in nothing els. God forbid (saith he) that I should glory, save in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus we have heard the Doctrine confirmed unto us sufficiently.
Reason 1Let us now proceed to the reasons and grounds of it, and they are two principally according to the two severall branches of the Doctrine.
First, No man can expect any mercy from God but onelyonly through Christ, Because he knoweth that he is by nature the child of wrath. Wee all (saith the Apostle, Ephes. 2.3.) were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, the elect as well as the reprobate, the blessed Apostle as much as any other man, was by nature the child of wrath. And as he knoweth hee is in this estate by nature; so by falling into and living in knowne sinnes, he knoweth likewise that he provoketh the Lord afresh oftentimes, and maketh him his enemie. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity, saith David, Psal. 5.5. They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit (saith the Prophet, Esa. 63.10. speaking of Gods owne people) therefore he was turned to be their enemy. And who can expect mercy and kindnesse from him whom he knoweth to be his enemy? No no, no mercy, no comfort can be looked for at Gods hands, nothing but terrour, nothing but indignation and wrath, while God is our adversary, till we be reconciled unto him. Till then (if a mans conscience be not senslesse) there can be nothing in him but a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement (as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 10.27.) and of fiery indignation, which shall devoure the adversaries. Now Christ is the onelyonly mediator between God and us to go betweene us, and make reconciliation, There is but one Mediator betweene God and man, (saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.5.) the man Christ Iesus. And Col. 1.19, 20. It pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe.
Secondly.Reason 2 No man can expect any mercy from God, till he know first that the justice of God is satisfied for him. As the Lord hath set this law unto all men to looke first to justice, and then to mercy, not to shew mercy unto any wi…h neglect of justice. What doth the Lord require of thee (saith he, Mic. 6.8.) but to do justly and to love mercy? Thou shalt not respect the person of the poore in judgement saith the Lord, Levit. 19.15. As if he had said; Thou shalt not out of compassion to his distressed estate, neglect to do justice: So hath he set this law unto himselfe, to looke first to justice, and then to mercy, not to have compassion upon any mans misery, or to shew mercy on him, with neglect of his justice. For God is infinite in justice, and will have his Law satisfied to the full. It is easier for heaven and earth to passe (saith our Saviour, Luc. 16.17.) than for one title of the law to faile. As though he should say; The Lord had rather heaven and earth, and all the creatures therein should come to nought, and perish everlastingly, than that one word or title of his Law should faile and be unfulfilled. And this is the irrecoverable sentence of his Law which the Apostle mentioneth, Galat. 3.10. Cursed i… every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them. Till therefore a man know that this sentence of the law be fulfilled, till a man know that this curse is borne for him, he cannot expect to find any mercy with God. See how the Lord hath expressed himselfe in this point, even in that place where he hath amplified his mercy most, and set it forth to the full: I meane Exod. 34.6, 7. The Lord is mercifull and gracious, long s…ffering, and abundant in goodnesse and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne. What can be said more for the amplifying of Gods mercy than is said here? And yet mark what followeth in the very next words; and that will by no meanes cleare the guilty. As if he had said; As infinite as the Lord is in mercy, yet will he by no meanes cleare any man that is guilty of the transgression of his law, without satisfaction be made to his justice for him. And who is able to make satisfaction to the justice of God for the sinne of man? Who is able to satisfie the law, and to beare this penalty and curse that is due unto him for the least transgression of it? Who can stand before his indignation (saith the Prophet, Nah. 1.6.) and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger? Surely all the Angels and Saints in heaven and earth could not do it. OnelyOnly Christ Iesus who was more than a man, was able to doe it, and did it for his elect to the utmost. The Lord hath laid upon him (saith the Prophet, Esa. 53.6.) the iniquity of us all; that is, the full punishment of all our iniquities. Christ hath redeemed us (saith the Apostle, Gal. 3.13.) from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. He trod the winepresse of the fiercenesse and wrath of almighty God, saith Iohn, Rev. 19.15. There was not one jot of the fiercenesse and wrath of God that was due to the sinnes of any of the elect, but he trod it out, it came all upon him. Christ himselfe our blessed Mediator could not make our peace with God, nor get him to pardon our sinne and shew us mercy, by intreaty, or intercession, or by any other meanes, till he had satisfied the law for us, till he had paid every farthing of our debt, till he had borne the curse and punishment that was due to us for our sinnes, even to the uttermost. When we were enemies (saith the Apostle, Rom. 5.10.) we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne; nothing but the death of his Sonne would do it. This truth the Lord taught his people even under the Law. Without a sacrifice, without shedding of blood there was no remission of any sinne saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.22. It is the bloud (saith the Lord, Levit. 17.11.) that maketh attonement for the soule. And these are the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine.
Now before we come to the uses of it, a question must be resolved to prevent the misunderstanding of this that hath beene delivered, and to make way for the uses that are to be made of it.
Quest.How can it be said that no mercy can be obtained of God for us by any other way but by the bloudy passion of Iesus Christ, seeing the Scripture so oft ascribeth our whole salvation to the meere grace and goodnesse of God onelyonly. By grace ye are saved, saith the Apostle, Eph. 2.5. And for the undoubted certainty of this truth, he repeateth it againe, Verse 8. in the very same words, and teacheth us that our whole salvation commeth most freely unto us. I will love them freely, saith the Lord, Hos. 14.4. We are justified freely by his grace, saith the Apostle, Rom. 3.24. And thus runneth the promise, Revel. 21.6. I will give to him that is a thirst, of the fountaine of the water of life freely.
Answ.To this I answer; that though the pardon of our sins and salvation of our souls be (in respect of Christ our surety) no free gift but a deare purchase, neither do we obtaine it till it was dearely bought and purchased for us. Ye are bought with a price, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 6.20. Yea such a price as the Apostle (1 Tim. 2.6.) calleth foreign, fully answerable in worth to the soules of all Gods redeemed ones, and to that which God hath given us; yet in respect of our selves and of our obtaining of it, it is meerly of grace, it is the free gift of God; It is meerly of mercy and free grace that any of us are saved. This will evidently appeare unto us in five points.
First, It was the free grace of God and nothing els, that first moved him to find out and appoint this way to save us by, and to satisfie his own justice for us. He purposed this in himselfe, saith the Apostle, Eph. 1.9. there was nothing out of himselfe that moved him to it. He devised this way how to make satisfaction unto himselfe. God was in Christ (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.19.) and reconciled the world (of the elect he meaneth, for certainly all are not reconciled unto him) to himselfe. This was certainly the free grace and meere mercy of God, and nothing els that moved him to do this. Yea his love and mercy to his elect appeared more in this, than if by his absolute prerogative and soveraignty he had forgiven us, without exacting any satisfaction for us at all, God so loved the world (saith our Saviour, Ioh. 3.16.) that he gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne, &c.
Secondly, It was the free grace of God and nothing els that moved him to give any of us to Christ, and to appoint us in his eternall counsell to be of that small number that should receive mercy by him. He predestinated us (saith the Apostle, Eph. 1.5.) unto the adoption of Children, by Iesus Christ to himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his will. As if hee had said; The good pleasure of his owne will, and nothing els moved him to do this. In this respect our Saviour saith of his faithfull Disciples, Ioh. 17.6. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; And Verse 9. I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given mee, for they are thine.
Thirdly, It was the free grace of God, and nothing els that moved him to give to any of us that grace, to receive Christ by faith being offered unto us in the ministery of the Gospell. No man can come to me (saith our Saviour, Ioh. 6.65.) except it were given unto him of my Father.
Fourthly, It is the free grace of God, and nothing els that moveth him to accept of that satisfaction which Christ our Surety hath made for us, and not to exact it at our own hands. And that maketh the Apostle to say Ephes. 1.6. that it is to the praise of the glory of his grace, that he hath made us accepted in his beloved, nothing hath bound him to do it, but his owne free promise and grace onelyonly.
Fiftly and lastly, It is the free grace of God, and nothing els, that moveth him after we have received Christ by faith, and thereby are brought into covenant with him, to performe his promise, and to keepe covenant with us, considering how oft we break our covenant with him, how weake and wavering our faith and obedience is. And this made Solomon breake forth into those termes of admiration and wonderment, 1 King. 8.23. O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like unto thee, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walke before thee with all their heart. As if he should have said, It is the marvellous mercy of God, that hee keepeth covenant even with the best of his servants, considering how many their failings be. And thus have I finished my Answer to the Question, and shewed you, that though our salvation were not free to Christ, but hee payed deare for it, yet to us it is free, we obtaine it onelyonly through the free grace and mercy of God.